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Well-Known Member

Read my post if you want to, ignore it if you want to. I'll be please as punch either way. :tongue3:

I was taught all of my young life that “women are more easily deceived” and that this was supposedly a direct quote from the Bible and was the reasoning why men were given control over women. So, as a teenager I took that to mean that women were stupid and I acted accordingly. Not taking responsibility for my own actions and not using my brain - doing things that I deeply regret because, hey, I was just a dumb girl. I found out as I read the Bible for myself that neither this phrase nor this concept are in the Bible.

The Bible says that Eve, personally, not women in general, was deceived. And there is nothing in the Bible about her being EASILY deceived……which implies stupidity or inferiority.

That phrase, "easily deceived" is not in Bible - from the King James Version to the Message and all versions/tranlations/paraphrases in between.

What IS in the Bible are several passages where men and women are deceived sin and deceived by others, including the Apostle Paul, by his OWN admission and several passage where humanity in general is deceived by sin and deceived by others. The very man who wrote that Eve was deceived, by his own admission, was deceived, himself.

Romans 7:11“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.”

By this verse alone, one cannot claim that Paul was saying that women only are deceived.

Being deceived by sin and deceived by others is a universal problem according to the Bible…..not a female problem. Jesus Christ, Himself, warned us all not to be deceived by those lying and pretending to speak the words of God.

Matthew 24:4-5 and 11“And Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many’……And many false prophets shall rise and deceive many.”

John, in the book of Revelation, tells that Satan has deceived the WHOLE world.

Revelation 13:14“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him."

I was taught a lot of things about women when I was young. I was taught that Bathsheba intentionally seduced David and that David was just an innocent bystander in that adulterous affair.

I was taught that Eve and therefore all women are “more easily deceived”. I was taught that these very words were in the Bible. They are not.

I was taught that the woman at the well was a whore. She was not. Five husbands had cast her out. She was a sinner and when Jesus called her on it, she repented.

I was taught that Job’s wife was not a Godly woman and was a shrewish burden to him. She was not. She was a grief stricken woman who has just lost all of her children and beloved husband was suffering physical pain untold. She just wanted him relieved of pain.

Then one day, I read the Bible for myself and found out that a lot of things that my traditional and fundamental background had taught me was not true.

Yes, in a Biblical marriage, the husband is the head. He leads. He leads as Christ did - from a place of sacrifice or giving up everything that was and is rightfully his to ensure that his wife and family are presented to God clean and saved. And he leads in love (a verb, not an emotion). He is not superior to his wife. She is not ignorantly inferior to him. He has a deep responsibility in that leadership and God strengthens the husband who leads in that manner of Christ.

And yes, in a Biblical marriage, the wife is the "help" or literally as the Hebrew word ("ezer") defines it, the "succor" or "relief". This is the same word "help" or "succor" or "relief" that is use many times over for God, Himself. Especially by David.

While the exact same Hebrew word, עֵזֶר or "ezer", is used to describe both Eve and God, she is NOT God nor is she superior to the man.

She is a "relief". She is an עֵזֶר or "ezer".

How can she be a relief to her husband if she is stupid?

How can she be a relief to her husband if she is "easily deceived"?

Why would God create a counterpart for Adam who was stupid or gullible?

He didn't. He created a counterpart that was "meet" for him. Appropriate for him. A counterpart.

And she was, as Adam was......"very good".

And she wasn't "easily deceived". She was "deceived" not because it was her nature to be stupid, but because she reacting incorrectly in that one instance when Satan tempted her and she allowed herself to get into a conversation justifying her behavior with him.

And we all, both male and female, do that.

Whew! I'm finished. Thanks for letting me ramble on and on and on.....

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Scarlett, I have been deceived myself many times by sincere-sounding people who lied to me, cheated me, and just downright hurt me so that trusting anyone is very difficult.

Since Eve was the ONLY woman at that time, there was no other woman for the devil to deceive. Could Adam have been deceived? I'm sure he could, but then he seemed to have a closer relationship with God than Eve from what we read. Perhaps Eve was the easier target--not that she could be EASILY deceived, but maybe it was easier to deceive her because of her trusting nature and because the woman has such influence over the man. Men do many things they regret because of their love for a woman.

Satan is very subtle and deceitful in his approach. He uses half-truths and injects lies in such a way that anyone can be deceived if they're not careful--especially those who have never studied God's word and know the truth of His word. That's why so many cults and false religions are able to get a multitude of followers. People are searching for the truth, and the deceivers are very adept at making lies sound convincing.

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Well-Known Member

I was taught all of my young life that “women are more easily deceived” and that this was supposedly a direct quote from the Bible and was the reasoning why men were given control over women. So, as a teenager I took that to mean that women were stupid and I acted accordingly. Not taking responsibility for my own actions and not using my brain - doing things that I deeply regret because, hey, I was just a dumb girl. I found out as I read the Bible for myself that neither this phrase nor this concept are in the Bible.

The Bible says that Eve, personally, not women in general, was deceived. And there is nothing in the Bible about her being EASILY deceived……which implies stupidity or inferiority.

Click to expand...

As someone, can't remember who, told me, all it took to deceive Adam was Eve, but it took Satan to deceive Eve. So ....................................

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New Member

Hey, BB folks, I'm just rambling here. Read my post if you want to, ignore it if you want to. I'll be please as punch either way. :tongue3: I was taught all of my young life that “women are more easily deceived” and that this was supposedly a direct quote from the Bible .... And she was, as Adam was......"very good"..... And she wasn't "easily deceived". She was "deceived" not because it was her nature to be stupid, but because she reacting incorrectly in that one instance when Satan tempted her and she allowed herself to get into a conversation justifying her behavior with him....And we all, both male and female, do that.

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Well, I am glad I read the other (closed) thread before responding. I understand the point you are making and agree.

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Well-Known Member

I will confess, Aaron's comments prompted me to post what I did, but my genuine concern was for anyone in general who had the wrong thoughts about deception and women.

Aaron is a good guy. I don't always agree with him, but I am willing to cut him some slack.

I've been on Bible messages boards for eight years. Unfortunately, I have seen many, many non-Biblical teachings presented by very very smart and Godly people.

I have, myself, been definitely guilty of reading and interpreting something incorrectly. We, as posters, need to be so careful in what we claim the Bible says. I'll start by pointing the fingers at myself.

We all have believed certain things were Biblical that we found out were not. It's humbling, embarrassing, and should make us repent of our jumping to conclusions.

"Spare the rod and spoil the child". How many people have claimed that to be Biblical. I did, at one time.

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness."

"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."

I could go on and on. In my own personal Bible studies, I have so many times found my wisdom to be as dung and my interpretations to be unfounded.

We need to study God's Word a WHOLE lot more than we merely talk about it on message boards.

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New Member

We need to study God's Word a WHOLE lot more than we merely talk about it on message boards.

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I totally agree. I find it so much more enriching to read whole chapters or books of the Bible at a time to get the entire context of what is being said, rather than pick or choose a favorite "proof text" to support my interpretation.

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Active Member

I agree that many use this to make women sound inferior, which is wrong.

But I think that one reason this is pointed out in the bible is because the blame was laid at Adam's feet. Adam should have spoken out or stopped Eve. He was the one given the orders directly from God, before Eve was formed.

But women should also admit that we can be swayed more easily emotionally, partly because we tend to be compassionate, I think. Men are deceived as well, of course, but I do think women on the whole are more emotional in their make-up - or at least respond more often emotionally. This can be good or bad.

We also see where God references this deception of Eve in his explanation of women not being allowed to teach:

12But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
13For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.
14And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 1 Tim. 3

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Yet Adam is held accountable for bringing sin into the world. So there is a balance here - men and women are both deceived but our make-ups are different and we all need to be aware of these flaws.

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Member

I read it, and it's the typical kick against the goads of the Scriptures. Scarlett's erroneous conclusions are irrelevant. Being easily deceived has nothing to do with being stupid. The Scriptures don't say that Eve alone was deceived. They say that "the woman" was deceived. Therefore "the woman" is not permitted to teach or usurp authority over the man. Was Paul speaking of Eve alone?

The head of every woman is the man. The benefits of that headship is her cover and protection, and not merely her physical and legal protection, but her spiritual protection as well.

The reason for that headship is God's created order. Man was created first, and woman was created from the man and for the man.

The benevolence that the man is commanded to render unto the woman is as unto the weaker vessel. These principles are universal and non-optional.

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This all got started simply because a woman suggested that if a man has a problem with her manner of dress, it is simply his problem. Good men tried to tell her otherwise, but the women want to persist in their delusion. The fact of the matter is that many women, and especially Christian women, just don't get it.

But many women do get it, and some, not willing to put a stumbling block before their brothers, are glad to cover up. Others will use it to their advantage, whether it's in avoiding traffic citations or securing promotions in the workplace.

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